Illuminated sign for automobiles.



APPLIOATION FILED 001. 31,1912.

Patented Mar. 31, 191'&

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GEORGE H. RICKE, 0F CINCINNATI, OHIG, ASSIG'NOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGN MENTS, T0 LOUIS A. DEG-GINGER AND LOUIS 'vV. ARNETT, BOTH 01* COVINGTON KENTUCKY, AND THOMAS M. GREENE, OF CINGINNATI, OHIO.

ILLUMINATEI) SIGN FOR AUTQMOBILES.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE H. R cks, a citizen of the United States, residing in Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Illuminated Signs for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved illuminated sign for automobiles which is of such construction that it may be read at night as well as by day and any desired color of light may be displayed at night.

My improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of my invention with parts broken away in order to better illustrate certain of the interior parts. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of another form of the invention. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the stencil plates with parts broken away. Fig. 4: is a perspective view illustrating how a set of stencil plates are joined and also how a series of colored plates are arranged in rear of the stencil plates. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the sign with parts broken away. Fig. 6 is a detail view in section indicating how the several plates are held in place in the casing. Fig. 7 is a detail view in perspective indicating how the stencil plates are interlocked and joined to each other.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, a lamp is indicated at 1 and 4 indicates a casing applied to the lamp. In Fig. 2 the casing i is attached to a rod 2 projecting from a bracket 3 which may be secured to the frame of an automo- In Fig. 2 the lamp is indicated at 1 and the bulls eye thereof at 6. In each case the casing 4 may be of any suitable shape and construction. It is open at the front but is provided with a marginal heading 5. In Fig. 2, 7 indicates an electric light having a key 8. The wires 9 extend from the lamp to a suitable source of energy. The sign in each case consists of a front glass plate 10, a series of stencil plates 12 and a series of colored glass plates'15. The front plate 10 is preferably made of one piece. The stencil plates are made separately and the colored glass plates 15 are made separately, there being one such plate 15 for each stencil plate. Each stencil plate is formed on one side with Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Octofier 81, 1912.

lPatented Mar. 31, 1914.

Serial-No. 728,851.

a slot 16 and at its opposite side it is bent as indicated at 18 to form a recess 17 for an adjacent plate. The bent over portion 18 is cut to form a tongue 19, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 7, and this tongue is adapted to engage with the slot 16 of an adjacent plate. The manner in which the tongue engages the slot and is bent in order to lock the two plates together is clearly indicated in Fig. 7. Any desired number of stencil plates having numbers out in them may in this way be joined. The plates are, of course, opaque and inasmuch as they overlap no light can pass through them except by way of the cut out portions I l forming the numbers.

In assembling the parts the glass plate 10 is inserted and made to rest against the beading' 5 at the front of the casing, then the stencil plates, after they have been interlocked and joined, are placed in position immediately behind the glass plate 10, and in order to secure the stencil plates to the easing I may employ fastening devices such as indicated at 20. These devices extend through the slot '16 of one of the end stencil plates and also through the beading 5 in the manner indicated in Fig. 6. The colored glass plates 15 are assembled immediately in rear of the stencil plates and then all the plates are held in place by stripsor cleats 25 of any suitable construction.

Inasmuch as the stencil plates in rear of the front plate 10 might not be readily seen in the daytime, I apply to the front plate 10 numbers 22 corresponding with those in the stencil plates and registering with them. These numbers may be painted on the glass plate 10 or they may be pasted'thereon, but they should be translucent so as to permitlight to passzthrough them at night when the lamp is ligthed.

I claim. as my invention 1. An illuminated sign for automobiles,-

comprising -a casing, a front plate for the casing having translucent numbers upon it, a series of interlocked opaque plates having numbers cut therein and arranged in rear of the front plate with their numbers registering with the translucent numbers ofsaid front plate, a series of colored translucent plates in rear of the opaque plates, means for illuminating the interior of the casing in rear of said plates, and means for holding the plates in place.

2. An illuminated sign for automobiles, parts in adjacent plates, a series of colored compi'ising a casing, a transparent front for translucent plates in rear of the interlocked the casing having translucent numbers upon I opaque plates, means for illuminating the init, a series of opaque plates having numbers terior of the casing in rear of said plates, and 5 cut therein and arranged in rear of the transmeans for holding the plat-es in place.

parentfront plate with their numbens regis GEORGE H. RICKE.

tei'ing with the translucent numbers of said transparent front, each of said opaque plates having a slot and a tongue on its opposite 1 side edges interlocking with corresponding /Vitnesses SAML. C. Cox, Tues. C. PARDINGTON. 

